Located next to St James underground station, you’ll find this restaurant within the St. Ermin’s Hotel. Conveniently located in the heart of Westminster, it’s ideal for tourists, hotel guests or simply those who are seeking a chic and relaxing restaurant in central London.​The vibeThe modern décor with its tasteful, neutral colour scheme – a palette of taupe, grey and cream - creates a relaxing atmosphere. Pops of colour, such as burnt orange dining chairs and oversized art prints, inject a bit of colour, while beautiful touches abound throughout the décor, such as intricately carved wooden screens, which also provide a bit of privacy for diners, and charcoal grey wood panelling, both which lend an air of sophistication. Candles flickering away in glass votives at each table further add to the ambiance and made our first evening out in ages feel all the more romantic.

The foodCaxton Grill is passionate about sustainability and sourcing local ingredients whenever possible, which is why they created their rooftop kitchen garden, which boasts a variety of fruits, vegetables and herbs that the head chef uses in a wealth of dishes. They also have their own ‘bee hotel’, which provides their honey. Not too shabby for a restaurant smack bang in the middle of Central London!

​Our waiter, who was exceptionally friendly and knowledgeable, talked us through the specials and his recommendations and offered to pair wines with each of our courses, and we were more than happy to oblige. As I perused the menu, I enjoyed a Mo, a fruity 'mocktail' from their non-alcoholic cocktail list, which was lovely and sweet and made me feel as though I was on a beach holiday instead of in cold, grey London.

​Mains consisted of the ravioli of mushroom and mascarpone with leek, truffle and hazelnuts, a delicate dish that was bursting with flavour, paired with a baby gem, shallot and hazelnut salad, which was lovely, light and crispy.

​My husband opted for the mixed grill, which had melt-in-your mouth sirloin, a steak fillet, a pork loin, and a chicken and a lamb cutlet served with garden veg (brussel sprouts, green peppers, carrots, cauliflower). All of the meats were perfectly cooked and were lip-smackingly delicious. Our waiter recommended a Bordeaux to compliment the meats, which was a fabulous pairing.

We nearly didn’t go for dessert, but after pouring over the dessert menu, we were swayed to try the spiced cookie semifreddo with poached pear and pear sorbet, which was pure comfort in dessert form, and the chocolate and hazelnut crémeux with bitter chocolate, an exceptionally decadent dessert that was artfully plated with pizazz on quite possibly the biggest dessert plate I’ve ever seen!

​While we waited for our starters, we nibbled on freshly baked olive and rosemary bread with a fabulous fresh herbed butter, which was so tasty we asked the waiter for tips on how to prepare our own at home.

For starters, my husband had the rolled fillets and spiced tartare of mackerel, paired with a crisp Sancerre to cut through the oiliness of the fish (which he loved), and I had the parsnip soup with parsnip crisps and curry oil, which was warming and delicious – exactly the thing one needs on a cold winter’s evening.

​One of the things we loved most was that for each course, you could tell that great care had been taken with every dish, all of which were elegant and beautifully presented.

The verdictThis is a great place to go if you’re looking for stylish and intimate surroundings with friendly service in the heart of Westminster.

The details2 Caxton StreetWestminsterLondon SW1H 0QW

Ashley Miln*During my visit I was hosted by the team at Caxton Grill. All opinions and photography are my own. ​